Electoral Reform Bill : EPC changes stance

by P.Krishnaswamy

Minister of Urban Development and Sacred Area Development and Chairman of the Electoral Reform Commission Dinesh Gunawardena told the “Sunday Observer” that the Eastern PC, the only Council to object to the Electoral Reform Bill, has now changed its stance and the Bill would be presented to parliament soon, with their consent, incorporating amendments on the contentious issues.

Minister of Local Government and Provincial Councils Janaka Bandara Tennakoon and he have already met Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan for discussions and would be meeting the other Councillors again to iron out differences on the remaining issues, the Minister also said. The SC ordered that before being passed in Parliament, all nine PCs should approve the Electoral Reform Bill which was formulated by the Electoral Reform Commission proposing, mainly, the replacement of the current system of election with provision for 70 percent members to be elected under first-past-the-post system and the remaining 30 percent under the PR system, with introduction of a 12 percent cut off point instead of the current five percent. The Eastern PC insisted on 50/50 percent first-past-the-post and PR, removal of the cut off point and powers in relation to lands be transferred from PC minister to the Delimitation Committee.

The Minister said that at their recent meeting with Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and his delegation they discussed clause by clause the contentious issues , gave explanations and cleared doubts. The request for appointment of the Delimitation Committee with participation of representatives of all ethnic minorities was agreed to and it was explained that even if candidates of minority parties lost deposits in terms of the 12 percent cut off point they would still qualify for election under the 30 percent PR system. Minister Tennakoon also assured the CM of Eastern PC that arrangements would be made for enabling the latter to fill existing vacancies in the provincial administration, Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said.